Lamborghini is wrapping up (literally and figuratively) the development of its first SUV since the hardcore LM002 4×4 from the 1980s, the new Urus.

We don’t have an official on-sale-date yet, but it’s believed that the Urus will be revealed by the end of this year before reaching showrooms in the first quarter of 2018. It could start from around $200,000 in the States.

This week, Lamborghini officials revealed that its first variant of the Urus SUV will get approximately 650 hp.

During an interview with Digital Trends, Lamborghini’s research and development chief Maurizio Reggiani confirmed that the Urus will initially be powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine before also being offered as a plug-in hybrid.

“I think the perfect DNA for the super sport SUV will be the first version, with a V8 that makes roughly 650 horsepower. It will offer best-in-class power-to-weight ratio. The plug-in hybrid model that will come later will be our first attempt at reducing our fleet’s average CO2 emissions, but it’s clear you cannot expect it to offer the performance of the V8.

“We want to have a button or something that can generate e-boost to provide better acceleration, but it will still be heavier than the other version,” Reggiani confirmed.

Lamborghini has made no secret of the fact that it wants to make the Urus the fastest SUV on the market, meaning it’ll have to exceed the 187 mph (301 km/h) top speed of its more-luxurious cousin, the Bentley Bentayga and it seems that the V8 model will be the most capable.

According to Reggiani, the V8 won’t just be faster than the hybrid but it will also be better off-road.

“Yes, of course, the SUV was born to go off-road. It’s clear the best off-road version will be the one with the V8, because in off-road driving you need to have as little weight as possible. The plug-in model won’t be as capable off-road, but it will still be good,” the chief said.

Although we know the Urus will get a plug-in hybrid version, it’s not known exactly when it will arrive. Nevertheless, we know that it will be the Italian marque’s first hybrid production vehicle and is unlikely to be joined by an electrified Lamborghini supercar for a number of years.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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